Top things to do

Facing the cathedral wall across a narrow street, this local favourite doesn't just do perfect pulpo (octopus) but also other tasty Galician items such as zamburiñas (small scallops), xoubas (pilchards) and raxo (sp…

Sybaris is not just a restaurant with a contemporary twist on Spanish fare, but also a well-stocked wine shop and Galicia-specialist deli (cheeses and hams, of course, but also lampreys in oil, crab pâté and sea-urc…

The artistic highlight of Ourense's Romanesque-Gothic cathedral, built mainly in the 12th and 13th centuries, is the gilded Santo Cristo chapel, inside the northern entrance. At the west end is the Pórtico do Paraís…

Reminiscent of a countryside inn with its wood beams and shelves of decorative crockery, A Taberna serves up first-class traditional Galician seafood and meat dishes with a few tasty twists, such as its venison tour…

This narrow bar has people flocking in for its famed and generous platters of huevos rotos: broken fried eggs over a bed of thinly sliced potatoes, to which you can add various sausages and meats. There are plenty o…

The capitals of the 63 arches of the lovely 14th-century Claustro de San Francisco are carved with a fascinating collection of people, animals, imaginary creatures and Galician plants – well worth a visit, and the a…

As Burgas springs, a short walk southwest of Praza Maior, gush out 67°C waters with reputed therapeutic properties and have been used since Roman times. People still fill containers with steaming water from the spou…

Classy Café Latino has a fabulous corner stage that hosts jazz gigs most Thursdays, starting around 10pm or 11pm, and a jazz festival in May. It's been serving up jazz for three decades and is a good breakfast spot …

Descend into cavern-like Café Druida, thronged on weekend nights, to sample its celebrated licor de café (coffee licqueur).

This Irish-pub-like bar stages occasional live gigs as well as popular Wednesday DJ nights starting at 11pm with free admission.